We moved to our little seaside cottage three years ago. I love it here in Machrihanish. At night I can lie in bed and listen to the waves crash on the shore, a two minute walk fro the house. We are blessed with a rich variety of wildlife on our doorstep. So why do we have it on the market and are moving to Glasgow? Ah, it’s both complicated and very simple. My health has got a lot worse since moving here. I’m no longer able to go for the lovely beach walks I so enjoyed. My daughter will be moving to London before too long and we will never see her if we stay here in this beautiful but remote corner of the world. Travelling to here from Glasgow is almost as long as getting to Glasgow from London. My mum’s health is failing and visiting her in...

I have waited a long time before plucking up the courage to write this post. The independence referendum is very, very important to me but I have so many friends south of the border who I don’t want to alienate. From the start then, this is a post about why I want a positive move towards independence FOR Scotland and has absolutely nothing to do with me being AGAINST the English. I am pro self rule here in Scotland, and anti continued rule by a government in Westminster that the Scottish people didn’t vote for and which holds my country is such little regard we are considered a ‘region’ rather than an autonomous, vibrant nation. When Tony Blair’s New Labour government won in 1997 I cried. I was so relieved that we had finally got rid...

On June 30th 2007, terrorists launched an attack at Glasgow airport. An explosives packed, burning jeep was driven into the entrance of the airport. An off-duty baggage handler heard the commotion and rushed out to see what was going on. On seeing the burning vehicle and one of it’s occupants attempting to flee, this Scotsmam is reported to have shouted, “fuckin’ mon, then!” and aimed a kick at the goolies of the fleeing figure. This man was a Weegie. His message to terrorists was “Glasgow doesn’t accept this. This is Glasgow; we’ll set aboot ye.” This man was John Smeaton. The social media...

When you mention Easterhouse to most people, an image of deprivation, unemployment, gang warfare, mugging, glue-sniffing and drugs is what will often spring to mind. Well, try living there. I lived in the ‘Greater Area of Easterhouse’ – I won’t talk about exactly where today or I’ll have nothing to write about for ‘Q.’ Gang fights were rampant. Stabbings, theft, arson… All part of everyday life. I never fit in and was always different to the majority of my peers. I graduated from Uni in 1982 and, like many other Glaswegians of the time, was unemployed. I had to sign on the dole in Easterhouse, every two weeks. My sign-on time was quite early and the bus between where I stayed and the unemployment office didn’t start until later in the day so I had to walk...